How can I restore disappeared Safari tabs on macOS 15.4.1?

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How to Restore Disappeared Safari Tabs Using Time Machine (Safari 18.4, macOS 15.4.1)

If your Safari tabs disappeared after a restart and you want to restore them using a Time Machine backup, you can follow these steps. This method is based on the current file structure for recent Safari versions, including Safari 18.4 on macOS 15.4.1.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Quit Safari Completely

• Make sure Safari is not running before you begin. You can do this by right-clicking the Safari icon in the Dock and selecting "Quit," or by using Command + Q if Safari is active.

2. Open the Relevant Safari Data Folder

• In Finder, press Command + Shift + G to open the "Go to Folder" dialog.
• Enter the following path and press Enter:
• 
  

text
~/Library/Containers/Safari/Data/Library/Safari

• Note: If this folder does not exist, also try:
• 
  

text
~/Library/Containers/com.apple.Safari/Data/Library/Safari

• The correct path can vary slightly depending on Safari and macOS versions.

3. Enter Time Machine

• With the Safari data folder open in Finder, click the Time Machine icon in your menu bar and select "Enter Time Machine."
• Navigate back to a date before the tabs disappeared (ideally, the last day you remember the tabs being present).

4. Restore the Tab Database Files

• In the Time Machine window, select the following files:
• 
  
  • SafariTabs.db
  • SafariTabs.db-shm
  • SafariTabs.db-wal
  • (Optionally, also select CloudTabs.db, CloudTabs.db-shm, and CloudTabs.db-wal for iCloud tab syncing.)
• Hold the Command key to select multiple files, then click "Restore." Choose to overwrite the existing files if prompted.

5. Relaunch Safari

• Open Safari again.
• Go to the menu bar and select History > Reopen All Windows from Last Session. This should restore your tabs and windows as they were at the time of the backup.

Additional Tips

• If "Reopen All Windows from Last Session" is greyed out, make sure you restored the files while Safari was fully closed, and try again.
• This process does not erase your browsing history or other Safari data.
• If you only want to recover specific tabs, you can also check Safari's History menu for recently visited sites and reopen them manually.

Summary Table

ActionDetails/PathQuit SafariFully close Safari before restoring filesGo to Folder~/Library/Containers/Safari/Data/Library/Safari (or ~/Library/Containers/com.apple.Safari/Data/Library/Safari)Enter Time MachineUse menu bar icon, navigate to date before tabs disappearedRestore FilesSafariTabs.db, SafariTabs.db-shm, SafariTabs.db-wal (and optionally CloudTabs files)Relaunch Safari & RestoreUse History > Reopen All Windows from Last Session

This method should restore your lost Safari tabs from your Time Machine backup as they were before the restart.